Higher intelligence

John Dale (johnd@northlink.com)
Mon, 9 Mar 1998 01:45:58 -0700


Dear Friends,

British author and lecturer Anthony Blake (The Intelligent Enneagram,
Shambhala 1996) is circulating the note below for comments
and possible co-participants in events exploring the theme
of communicating with higher intelligence.

COMMUNICATION WITH HIGHER INTELLIGENCE

Below is a sketch of a perspective on the theme of higher
intelligence which we might address in some future event.

The idea is that our understanding of communication with
higher intelligence must depend on our view of what that
intelligence 'is'. John G. Bennett [The Dramatic Universe,
4 vol] spent considerable time opening up this question,
and I have tried to follow some of his remarks to the
effect that now we can address what this intelligence is in
a way that was not possible before. Certainly we can at
least separate out the background of religious belief
(though not forget it).

You may easily see that this sketch could be the basis of
an interesting book, if any of us had the time to devote to
it.

It is also offered here as a stimulus for thinking of people with
insights into these questions, who might be persuaded to take part in a
seminar devoted to them, or some other similar gathering.

15 Hypotheses

A. The first group concerns the hypothesis of higher intelligence as a
human potential.

1. The hypothesis of higher faculties at work
within human beings generally but which most of us
are not in touch with, largely clustered around (a)
conscience (moral order and will), and (b) intuition
(direct perception, intelligence). It is proposed
that accessing such faculties can make our
intelligence higher (more moral, or more high
powered).

2. The hypothesis of exceptional people, or
genius, i.e., higher faculties which exist in only a
few people. It is sometimes avowed that what we need
most is the cultivation and utilisation of genius.
This also can tie in with the future bioengineering
of higher intelligence.

3. The hypothesis of co-operative intelligence. If
and when people 'coalesce' their individual
intelligences, through consultation, Bohmian
dialogue, or other techniques, then a higher order
can emerge.

4. The hypothesis that artificial intelligence and
advanced computing will link in the future not only
indirectly with human modes of social interaction
(e.g., the internet) but directly with personal
perception and congnition (enhanced real world
perception and mental capacity, virtual reality).

5. The combined hypothesis of a special group of
people (still basically human) in whom higher
intelligence is embodied. This is the assertion of a
'hidden directorate', or hidden masters, who
influence human affairs through 'sensitive'
intermediaries. Along with this may be added the
postulate of an intrinsic social order of
intelligence.

B. The second group postulates an independent class of entities as the
higher intelligence.

6. The hypothesis of the noosphere. In this
hypothesis, the natural evolution of the planet
produces a realm of intelligence that is
independent of the human population, hence, that
there is an 'Overmind', Gaia, or some such, arising
out of physical laws.

7. The hypothesis of superplanetary but still
limited intelligences, that the solar system, the
galaxy, etc., are in some sense, on some scale,
intelligent entities.

8. The hypothesis of supernatural intelligence and
agency involved in evolution and/or in revelation to
chosen human beings. We note here the two-fold form
this takes in terms of 'angels' or 'messengers'
(religion) and a creative or guiding demiurgic intelligence.

9. The hypothesis of extraterrestrial intelligence,
ascribed to highly advanced beings of other
planetary systems or dimensions.

10. The combined hypothesis of planetary destiny,
in which it is proposed that every planet with life
has an ordained destiny differing from any other.

C. The last group of hypotheses concerns intelligence as 'hidden in
time'.

11. The hypothesis of the ancestral wisdom. This
ancient hypothesis ascribes wisdom or higher
intelligence to the corpus of the ancestors, from
whom we may receive guidance.

12. The hypothesis of intelligence as belonging to
the future. In this hypothesis, higher intelligence
is positioned in the future, though a future of a
special kind. For example, in a cross-over concept
between hypotheses, some people explain some of the ET
phenomena as we ourselves coming from our own
future.

13. The Omega Point theory of Frank J. Tipler, in
which the future intelligence of general universe
can reach into and redeem the past.

14. The hypothesis of higher intelligence as the
fastest rate of becoming and as belonging to the
present instant. This is the rarest form of belief
in higher intelligence.

15. The combined hypothesis of higher intelligence
as time itself. In this hypothesis, an attempt is
made to combine all other hypotheses and begin from
a starting point that does not distinguish human
forms of intelligence from others.

D. What remains

There is an open area concerning the 'fact' that higher intelligence is
itself limited and supposes a higher order still. In this, we might also
consider that our very idea of 'higher' might be called into question.
Some evolutionary biologists say that we cannot even call human
intelligence 'higher' than that of any other species.

-- 
Tony Blake

_________________________

If anyone wants to comment personally or offer themselves for possible events dealing with these hypotheses, I can be reached at johnd@northlink.com.

Sincerely,

John Dale